


Expect the Unexpected

by Gizzwhizz



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Assassin's Festival DLC, Budding Love, Confessions, Cosplay, First Kiss, Flustered Ignis Scientia, Jealous Ignis Scientia, M/M, Prompto's stretch marks, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:20:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28701336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gizzwhizz/pseuds/Gizzwhizz
Summary: Prompto had come to expect the unexpected these days. But perhaps the most unexpected thing of all is the discovery of a festival to celebrate Noct's favorite video game series. He quickly learns that the Assassin's Festival holds more surprises in store for him than just cosplay and displays of acrobatics, however.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 8
Kudos: 61





	Expect the Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> In light of recent real world events I wanted to write something more light-hearted for just a little bit. I came across some fanart in my FFXV folder that reminded me that the Assassin's Festival was a thing and that I've never written about it and...this is the result. So I hope you enjoy this bit of Promnis-fluff-as-distraction from the real world. (And never forget how embarrassed Ignis was about showing off his nipple in that Assassin's Creed outfit.)

Prompto had come to expect the unexpected these days. What had started off as a sort of extended Bachelor Party to accompany the Crown Prince to his wedding had taken a detour none of them could have foreseen. He'd heard stories from some of the Kingsglaive while undergoing his Crownsguard training about the daemons and other strange creatures that populated the lands outside of Insomnia's Wall, of course, but he’d never imagined that fighting them himself would become a daily occurrence.

And yet here they were, more than a month since the Fall of Insomnia, picking up odd jobs and meeting all kinds of interesting people as they tried to make their way through this new world and find some way to cross the sea.

Between massive daemons, insects that were larger than a person, the odd ambush by a squadron of MT's, and even witnessing actual Astrals in the flesh, Prompto thought he had seen it all.

Then Noct had come across an announcement on his phone one night around the campfire that shocked Prompto almost more than all of the rest of it combined for the sheer...serendipity of it.

Not only was there to be a festival held in Lestallum in the coming weeks, but it was to be a veritable gamer's paradise, for the theme was nothing less than Noct's own favorite video game series: _Assassin's Creed_.

Prompto had spent many a sleepless night lounging on Noct's couch whenever a new game in the series came out, watching the Prince play through it with a single-minded determination that Ignis openly wished Noct would apply to his studies instead. They were some of his most cherished memories, for it was those late-night gaming sessions that had really cemented their friendship. So, of course, Prompto was just as excited to hear about the festival as Noct was when they learned of it.

Now that the day had finally arrived, however, he found himself wondering if this had really been the best idea after all. Cosplay wasn’t a hard requirement to participate in the festival, but Noct had basically decreed that it was for _them_. Prompto actually thought the idea was fun, though he reconsidered that stance when he realized that while Noct got to wear the protagonist’s white hooded robes that concealed most of his body, the rest of them were left to bare considerably more skin.

As usual, Gladio wasn't bothered in the slightest, but Prompto found himself tugging at the red sash around his waist and the golden fabric hanging off his shoulder to try and cover as much of his stomach as possible. His Crownsguard training had helped his pecs fill out nicely and toned his stomach, but there were some lingering reminders of his childhood he would never be rid of.

Stretch marks.

Still, if he was careful about the material and how he belted it all into place he thought he could keep them covered, and his chest and biceps would help draw attention elsewhere. Or at least he hoped they would. It was hard to tell, facing a corner of the hotel room while Noct hogged the bathroom mirror in an attempt to get his hood "just right."

"Really. Do these outfits have to be so... _revealing_?" Ignis huffed and Prompto turned around before he could even think about it. Ignis, it appeared, was having something like the opposite problem to Prompto. Far from caring about his midriff, the Advisor was frowning down at his exposed chest and tugging at his costume in a fruitless attempt to somehow force the fabric to cover him entirely.

Prompto realized suddenly that he'd rarely ever seen Ignis without at least an undershirt on, even when they were all changing in the tent together. His eyes immediately looked for a scar or some other blemish, but all he saw was tanned skin and well-defined muscles.

"But you look good, Iggy," Prompto said in surprise and then almost clapped his hands over his own mouth. He felt his cheeks growing warm and Gladio laughed as he came up to slap Ignis on the back.

"He's just shy," Gladio said with a wink before patting Ignis' shoulder. "Relax, Iggy. It's just a little skin."

"Yes, well, not all of us share your lack of appreciation for _shirts_ , Gladio," Ignis replied with a huff. After Prompto's comment, however, he looked down at himself again and stopped trying to tug the outfit out of place, picking up one of his vambraces to begin strapping it into place. Prompto forced himself to stop looking at the exposed expanse of skin along Ignis' side and did the same.

"You guys almost ready?" Noct asked, finally emerging from the bathroom.

"Nearly there," Ignis said with a sigh and Prompto laughed.

"Yeah, dude, give us a sec. We've got way more belts than you do, you realize that right?" Noct just sighed and sat down on the bed, bouncing one of his legs impatiently. Prompto knew better than any of them how much his friend didn't want to miss a second of the festivities, so he snatched up his other brace and slipped it over his arm where he could finish buckling it into place as they walked.

"Okay, okay. How about if me and Noct head out together and we'll catch you guys around, alright?" he asked, glancing at Ignis automatically to see if the compromise was acceptable. Ignis opened his mouth, but then his dappled green eyes flicked to Noct's hopeful face, and the Advisor's shoulders slumped.

"Very well, but do be careful. Don't lose your heads simply because it is a celebration," he said. Noct was already on his feet, halfway to the door, and Prompto just shook his head.

"I'll keep an eye on him," Prompto promised and flashed Ignis a smile. "Thanks, Iggy." Ignis returned the smile with one of his wide grins that showed his teeth and Prompto felt his heart beat a touch too fast as he turned to follow Noct out of the hotel room.

"There were a bunch of challenges and prizes at the main booth," Noct said excitedly as they made their way down the stairs and Prompto had to admit, it was nice to see his friend excited about something again. All told, Noct had taken the news about Insomnia and his father probably better than anyone might have expected. That said, he had always been given to bouts of dark moods and now more than ever it seemed like almost anything could send him into a depressive spiral.

From the time they'd seen the announcement about the so-called Assassin’s Festival, however, Noct had been nearly a ray of sunshine, counting down the days and repeatedly checking with Ignis that they would be in Lestallum on the right dates. And now that the day had finally come, the Prince had been practically vibrating with energy all day. Indeed, as they'd driven up, clearing the tunnel between Lestallum and Hammerhead, Noct had stood tall in the back seat of the Regalia, ignoring Ignis' barked order for him to sit down as he took in the way the city had been transformed.

It was good to see Noct truly enjoying himself, even if it was only for a weekend.

And so, they had all agreed to participate and even to dress up, all in the name of preserving whatever pockets of happiness they could find in Noct's life now. It felt like they owed him that much, at least.

When they reached the main booth, Prompto looked over a flyer of activities and grinned when he found a photo scavenger hunt and excitedly pointed it out to Noct. There were other activities too, ones that mirrored missions from the _Assassin's Creed_ games and invited people to try to scale the buildings of Lestallum and the like. Such a task might have been a challenge for the average citizen, but for three trained Crownsguard and a Prince who could use magic to warp from point to point, most of them sounded like child's play. Which was good; it meant they'd have no trouble winning whatever prizes Noct might want.

In the end, they decided to start with the photographs and what amounted to a tour of the various food stalls since breakfast had been hasty and they had skipped lunch as they drove. Prompto easily tracked down every shot that was described on the list while they ate spiced meat off sticks. By the time they were making their way back to the main booth to turn in the pictures, Ignis had appeared and was looking over the list of activities himself.

Just as they came up, Prompto overheard a few boys standing off to the side talking with one another.

"Hey, did you see that stylish blonde walking around town?" one of them asked, and the wink was nearly visible in his voice.

"Did I! He’s cute— _and_ has a nice camera!" one of his friends answered. Prompto nearly tripped. They were at the booth now and there was no way that neither Noct nor Ignis hadn't also heard the comments. Neither of them reacted, however.

"I know," a third member of the group lamented. "I’m so jealous. I wanted to ask where he got it, but just can’t work up the nerve to talk to him."

By now, Prompto's face was beat red, and his tongue tripped over his words as he held his camera out for the official behind the booth to examine his pictures. He kept his eyes down and found himself tugging his red sash up again, afraid that too much of his stomach was showing.

"Hmmm, this one I think," Ignis suddenly said and Prompto looked over to find that the Advisor had his finger stopped under one item on the activities list.

The Crossing: literally a tightrope walk suspended between buildings.

"Dude, are you serious?" Prompto asked, looking up at the Advisor with wide eyes.

"Can't spell funambulism without fun," Ignis said with a shrug and another wide grin. Prompto wasn't sure if his stomach wanted to clench or flip and the result was just an odd fluttering, as if he'd swallowed a thousand butterflies.

"Come on," Noct was already impatiently pulling at his elbow but Prompto hesitated, glancing at Ignis.

"Um...can you do the next one without me?" he finally said to Noct, clapping his hands together in an apologetic prayer. "I just...wanna get some pics of Ignis doing The Crossing. It's gonna look badass in this light," Prompto added quickly. Noct huffed in annoyance but waved his hand.

"Suit yourself. I'll see you in a bit," he said, rushing off to find his own fun.

"Yeah," Prompto agreed, offering a feeble wave in return.

Prompto turned back to find Ignis eyeing him with an unreadable expression in his sharp green eyes. The gunner swallowed and held up his camera by way of explanation.

"Is it...cool if take some pictures?" he asked. He didn't usually ask before snapping shots of his friends, but he suddenly remembered the Advisor's dislike of the costumes and worried he'd crossed a line by not asking first this time.

"I get it if you don't want any pictures of you, well, dressed like that," Prompto hurried to add. "I just...well you're always so _acrobatic_ in battle, so I know you're gonna make The Crossing look easy, and that's pretty badass...that's—that's all," he finished lamely, letting his camera sink a few inches towards his side out of hesitance.

Suddenly, he wished he'd never asked. Before he could back-peddle any further, however, Ignis reached out and caught his wrist. Most of his grip was on the vambrace, but Prompto felt the soft brush of Ignis' thumb against his own. It was so rare to see the Advisor without his driving gloves, let alone feel the bare skin of his hands.

The simple warmth of the touch sent a shiver down Prompto's spine.

"No need to apologize," Ignis assured him quietly. His smile was quiet and almost hesitant, as if he were talking to a frightened animal. In a way, he was. "If I may make a request, however," Ignis continued, "I don't mind you taking pictures, Prompto, but I would ask that you keep them to yourself. This is Noct's day, after all, and I only chose to participate in The Crossing because it sounded...amusing. I don't wish to distract from his enjoyment with my sideshow."

Prompto swallowed. Secret pictures of Ignis that were only for him...it was almost too much to hope for. He found himself nodding quickly, hoping that his cheeks weren't as red as they felt.

"Okay, deal," he agreed, flashing what he hoped was an easy grin at the Advisor. Ignis nodded in return and released Prompto's wrist. Prompto missed the pressure of his grip almost immediately, but refused to say anything about it.

"All right," Ignis said, turning his head towards the simple rope that was suspended over Lestallum's main set of stairs. "I'll leave you to find the best vantage point, then," the brunette said with a wink. Prompto could only stare at the almost flirtatious gesture and was left watching Ignis' back as the man turned and disappeared into the crowd. It took another moment for his brain to restart and Prompto at last stepped around the central booths to find the best spot to frame the tightrope walk.

Even as he held his camera up, testing angles and trying not to stand anywhere where people were likely to run into him, he kept thinking about what he'd overheard from the three men by the booth. They'd called him "stylish" and even "cute!" And the last one had said he didn't have the courage to even talk to him.

Prompto, who had watched Noct with a similar apprehension for years, found it hard to truly believe that anyone would feel nervous about talking to _him_. And then Ignis had immediately announced he was going to go and do something as crazy as The Crossing. He claimed he didn't want to distract from Noct's enjoyment, but if that was the case, then why announce it? The Advisor had to know that Prompto couldn't pass up the opportunity to record something so spectacular, didn't he?

Prompto bit his lip. There was no way Ignis was doing this in response to what they'd overheard...was there?

Movement on the rooftop caught his eye and Prompto was dragged form his thoughts as he looked up and saw Ignis _waving_ at him from the start of The Crossing. Prompto's stomach clenched, with nerves or something else he couldn’t quite name, and he raised his arm to wave back enthusiastically, holding his camera up meaningfully before lowering it to his eyes.

The light and angle really were perfect. Prompto clicked through the various filters on his camera, but even as he did, he knew he probably wouldn't use most of them. The sight of Ignis placing one foot on the rope with his arms outstretched against the purple clouds of the setting sun was spectacular enough without changing the color saturation.

He fell into a familiar kind of trance, his finger clicking away with every step that Ignis took. Prompto didn't realize that he was holding his breath until his lungs began to burn, and then he felt silly when he remembered to breathe at last. Ignis was halfway across already and hadn't even wavered.

Then the sun dipped low enough that a few golden rays shone between the buildings and seemed to backlight Ignis, an ethereal spotlight that made his skin practically glow and turned his brown hair into a kind of spun bronze. It was almost as if Prompto were looking at a painting instead of anything based in reality, let alone one of his friends.

He was so mesmerized, that for a long moment he just stared at the scene through his camera and forgot to click the button to take a picture. Then Ignis moved to step again and he remembered with a jolt, snapping four pictures in the time it took to blink in his panic.

It turned out he was just in time, for the nearly magical light effect faded as quickly as it had come and with only two more steps Ignis was safely stepping onto the building at the end of the rope. The small crowd that had gathered to watch broke into applause, startling Prompto, and when he looked up Ignis was waving again. Prompto paused to take one last picture before he waved back, grinning from ear to ear.

They hadn't exactly agreed to meet up again, but Prompto stayed where he was anyway, only taking a few steps out of the way of the general thoroughfare to click through the pictures he'd taken. They were good. In fact, they were really good. Unsurprisingly, he found himself staring at the pictures with the "magical lighting" the longest, scrolling back and forth between them.

A small thrill went through Prompto when he remembered his promise. These pictures were just for _him_...

"You have quite the eye," a voice made Prompto jump and he turned to find that Ignis had appeared beside him and was peeking over his shoulder at the pictures. "Is that a filter?"

"No," Prompto answered quickly. He hugged his camera to his chest out of instinct, but then realized how ridiculous he must look, trying to hide his camera screen, and turned it back towards Ignis. "The sun happened to be setting just right, that's all. It was only for a moment though," he explained, scrolling through a few more pictures so Ignis could see when the effect disappeared.

"I'm flattered you took so many," Ignis said, and when Prompto looked up he caught the hint of a blush across the bridge of the Advisor's nose. He swallowed and nodded quickly.

"Y-yeah," he said, offering a small smile. "It was really something. You...don't mind, do you?" Ignis fiddled with his glasses for a moment but then offered Prompto a reassuring smile.

"No, of course not," the Advisor assured him and Prompto felt his shoulders dip as some of the tension left his body. Then his mouth was moving without his permission and he blurted out the question that had been lurking in the back of his mind.

"Did you do that because of what those guys said?"

The minute the words were out of his mouth Prompto wished he could take them back. He tried to cover his mouth with his hands, forgot he was holding his camera, and ended up smacking his lips against the digital screen. He winced, both at the pain as lips hit his teeth and in worry over his camera. Prompto quickly checked the screen for any cracks and then banished the device back to the Armiger before he could damage it on accident.

Throughout all of this, Ignis only watched him with a quiet, measured stare that didn't betray any of what he was thinking. He didn't deny Prompto’s suspicion, but he didn't confirm it either. He simply stared at Prompto, and after a few minutes of this scrutiny the blond began to squirm.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that," he said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "I wonder where Noct went..." he added, glancing around them.

"Prompto," Ignis said. The name was spoken with a quiet authority that made Prompto's heart skip a beat. He swallowed and forced himself to raise his eyes to look up at Ignis, chewing on his bottom lip.

"Y-yeah?" he asked. He suddenly realized that all of his muscles were tensed, as if he might flee at any moment if Ignis said the wrong thing to him now. Maybe he would.

"I..." Ignis began, but cut himself off. He frowned, but the annoyance in his eyes seemed to be turned inwards. Prompto had seen the Advisor when he was upset or exasperated at Noct numerous times, and that's not what he looked like now. He _was_ experiencing some kind of distress, but it didn't seem to be directed at anyone. Prompto held his breath again, until, finally, Ignis pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and those brilliant green eyes refocused on him.

"Apologies," Ignis said, and before Prompto could even ask what he was apologizing for, there were warm lips covering his own. They were soft and plump and before Prompto even knew what he was doing he had raised himself up on the tips of his toes to try and make up for the difference in their heights. He wasn't sure who turned their head, him or Ignis, but one of them did and the gentle slide of sensitive skin made Prompto whine.

When Ignis pulled back, Prompto leaned forward unconsciously in an attempt to follow him, as if magnetized to those supple lips.

"I...wasn't sure how to put that into words," Ignis whispered, his voice sounding rough and hoarse. Prompto just blinked at him drunkenly for a moment.

Ignis had kissed him.

Ignis had _kissed_ him.

 _Ignis_ had kissed _him_.

Prompto's heels slowly came back down to meet the ground. At some point he'd put his hands on Ignis' shoulders, but he couldn't quite remember when. He should probably pull them back now, but, somehow, he couldn't quite bring himself to do it. He licked his lips and could swear they were still tingling from the kiss.

"Prompto?" Ignis' voice refocused his attention and he found the Advisor frowning at him, though not out of anger. This was softer, more of a mix of confusion and concern. "I apologize if my advances were unwanted."

"What? No!" Prompto gasped and then winced when he realized they were still standing so close and he'd just shouted in the Advisor's face. "I mean, no, it wasn't unwanted. I just...I mean I never..."

"There's no need to look so worried, then," Ignis said with a quiet chuckle that sounded like relief. "After all, surely that wasn't your first..."

But Ignis trailed off because Prompto was now staring down at their boots, his right hand fisting in the fabric of Ignis' costume. The silence that fell between them now was awkward, but Prompto couldn't seem to find the right words to break it. How was he supposed to explain without sounding pathetic? Twenty years old and he had never so much as kissed anyone.

Slim fingers found his cheek and he looked up despite himself, swallowing as his eyes locked with Ignis' green ones. Prompto swore that their exact shade seemed to shift with the Advisor's mood, darkening to a forest green when he was scolding Noct and seeming to lighten when he laughed. Now those eyes were the kind of light green that only existed when one was looking at the sun through layers of foliage. Crisp and spring-like.

Somehow, that fact alone put him at ease and let Prompto's heart slip back down out of his throat to find its proper place within his chest once more.

"It is nothing to be ashamed of," Ignis said before Prompto even had the chance to speak. His hand shifted to fully cup Prompto's cheek and the blond leaned into the touch. "However, had I known, I might have made more of an effort to make your first kiss more memorable instead of...brazenly stealing it from you like that."

Prompto laughed at the description and shook his head.

"But I liked it," he finally said, his voice so quiet it was nearly a whisper. "I liked it a lot, Iggy." Ignis smiled in that way that made his eyes squint at the corners and Prompto's stomach quivered at the sight.

"Well, I am certainly relieved to hear it," Ignis said. Prompto chewed on his lip for a moment and glanced around them. Noct was no doubt engrossed in some task or another and wouldn't miss him for a while. He didn't have to run back to the Prince's side just yet. Ignis' hand was still on his cheek and Prompto’s own were still on the Advisor's shoulders.

"Do...you maybe wanna do it again?" Prompto asked after a moment. His eyes darted towards the wall as he felt his cheek grow warm under Ignis' fingers. "Maybe...somewhere more private? Like back at the hotel?"

Ignis didn't answer for a long moment, and Prompto kept his eyes on the wall, trying to ignore how hard his heart was beating against his rib cage. Maybe he was assuming too much. Just because Ignis had kissed him _once_ , that didn't have to mean they were suddenly dating or anything. Maybe it had only been the adrenaline from The Crossing that had inspired Ignis to do that, or his appreciation for the photos Prompto had taken. Not everyone thought a single kiss was such a big deal...

"I think I would like that," Ignis murmured at last. Prompto dared to shift his gaze from the wall and was astounded to find that even in the fading light it was clear that Ignis was blushing at least as hard as the gunner was himself.

Before he could lose his nerve, Prompto reached up and took the hand that Ignis was still resting against his cheek in both of his before turning to lead him back down the alley that led to the Leville. There wasn't as much activity around the hotel, with most of the festival's stalls and booths at the entrance to the city, and Prompto was secretly glad for it. It meant that not too many people saw him nearly dragging Ignis by the hand, and also spared them from running into Noct or Gladio at an inopportune moment.

When they entered the Leville, they were met with a blast of cool air conditioning that made Prompto shiver in his half-undressed state. He would never understand how Gladio could stand going around without a shirt most of the time. Even if he wasn’t self-conscious, it was uncomfortable to be so exposed.

He hadn't looked at Ignis since he'd begun leading him back to the hotel, but the Advisor offered no resistance as they climbed the stairs to their room and Prompto fished out his key.

Then they were inside, alone in the hotel room, standing in the middle of the room between the beds while the door clicked shut behind them. Finally, Prompto had no choice but to turn and look up at Ignis once more.

A slightly bemused smile quirked Ignis' lips, and he seemed to be waiting to see what Prompto would do next. That was fair, Prompto decided. Ignis had kissed him first, after all, so it felt right that now it was his turn. The only problem was, he wasn't entirely sure what to do, and the whole thing had happened so fast he hadn't exactly been able to pay attention to what Ignis had done either.

Finally, left with no option except to simply go for it, Prompto leaned in and pressed his lips against Ignis'. The angle was off and their noses were nearly squished together, but Prompto fixed that easily enough by simply tilting his head. There, that felt more right, and he even felt Ignis pressing back against him so that he didn't have to raise himself up on his toes this time.

Ignis turned his hand until he could lace his fingers with one of Prompto's and squeeze, meanwhile his free hand came up to cradle the back of Prompto's head where his fingers could freely bury themselves in short blond hair without disrupting the careful styling that Prompto had put into his appearance.

Prompto closed his eyes and sighed through his nose, simply enjoying the contact. It occurred to him that he could have fired off a dozen or more questions at this point, and Ignis being Ignis would likely have answered each of them patiently. Like: how much did the Advisor really like him and for how long? And did Ignis want anything more, or was this a one-time thing brought on by the excitement of the festival or any number of other reasons? And why _Prompto_ in the first place?

But he didn't ask any of that, and maybe that was for the best. Prompto didn't want to overthink this, but just to enjoy it for whatever time that he could, whether that was just an hour or a night or the rest of his life.

Finally, however, he had to pull back for air and was somewhat gratified to find that Ignis was just as out-of-breath as he was.

"Not bad for my second kiss ever, huh?" Prompto panted with a grin. Ignis' answering smile showed off his canines and the effect was nearly feral, sending a shiver down Prompto's spine.

"No, but there is always room to improve one's technique," the Advisor replied quietly. "Like so."

When their lips met again, Ignis kept his slightly parted this time. At first, Prompto couldn't fathom why, and then he felt the warm, wet pressure of a tongue running along his lips. Prompto's mouth opened with a gasp of surprise and Ignis took full advantage of the reaction.

Prompto had seen people kiss like this in movies—hell, sometimes even on the subway—and had never quite understood the appeal. It sure looked like they were enjoying themselves, but how good could it feel to have someone else's tongue in your mouth? The moment that Ignis' tongue brushed his own, however, he felt like a shock of electricity had just run through his entire body. Ignis was gentle and tentative, clearly afraid to do too much too fast, and that gentleness only melted Prompto's heart even more.

With a whimper, Prompto dared to move his own tongue in reply, tasting the faint traces of Ebony and something so warm and comforting that it was like the first sip of hot cocoa on a snowy, winter day. It tasted like coming home, in a way that "home" had never felt to him before. Prompto kept clinging to Ignis' hand, but his other moved to mirror Ignis, cupping the back of his neck and brushing his fingers along the soft, short hairs there.

Distantly, he realized that he'd closed his eyes and forced them to flutter opened again. Ignis' own eyes were closed and there was a splash of color on his high cheeks and across the bridge of his nose, but this was a flush of excitement rather than one of embarrassment. Prompto drank it all in, even the way the Advisor's nose flared to draw in a breath without breaking the kiss. Somehow, even that was breathtaking to behold.

When Prompto at last drew back for a much-needed breath of air, he watched those green eyes blink opened at him and noted how much darker they were now. Like a forest under the full moon. Ignis looked like he didn't know if he wanted to kiss Prompto again, or maybe eat him, and, honestly, Prompto didn't care so long as he just kept touching him in some way.

"I...I know this is usually the part where people start tearing each other's clothes off but...I..." Prompto found himself babbling, suddenly self-conscious all over again about what exactly he was wearing. Ignis was happy enough to kiss him now, but would he still feel the same way if he saw all of him? Just as Prompto would have stepped back to put distance between them, however, Ignis tightened his grip on their joined hands and slid his other hand around to cup Prompto's cheek once more.

"We don't _have_ to do anything," Ignis told him simply. "And we certainly don't have to go any further if you are uncomfortable. Though...I wouldn't mind if we continued as we are...for a while longer?" The uncertainty in the Advisor's voice turned the statement into a question and Prompto could only stare at him.

Ignis had never sounded uncertain about anything in his life.

"Yeah," Prompto breathed, trying not to sound too relieved. "Yeah, okay. I'd like that."

The next kiss was less hesitant and more insistent on both sides. They both knew that they wanted this now, and any remaining uncertainty seemed to melt away. Prompto wasn't sure which of them moved first, but they shuffled as one to sit on the end of one of the beds. No one was pushed down or pinned against the mattress. They simply sat there, Prompto's right hand held tight in Ignis' left.

Ignis' free hand moved to cradle the back of Prompto's head again, his nails scratching lightly at Prompto's scalp. Prompto, meanwhile, let his own free hand slip down Ignis' neck before daring to let it move even lower to the exposed side of his chest. Neither of them really seemed to notice, at least not until Prompto's fingers brushed over the hard little nub of Ignis' nipple.

The Advisor suddenly pulled back with a gasp, eyes wide, and Prompto snatched his hand back as if he'd been burned. He tried to yank his right hand away as well, but Ignis refused to release his grip.

"I'm sorry!" Prompto said quickly, face burning with shame. "We said we were just gonna kiss and then I started feeling you up. I'm really sorry!" He wanted to move further away, but Ignis was making any real retreat impossible by refusing to let go of his hand, so all he could do was sit there with his head lowered, waiting to be reprimanded.

Ignis was quiet for just a moment too long and when Prompto dared to flick his eyes up at him. The Advisor's face was bright red and he kept pushing against the bridge of his glasses with one finger even though they couldn't sit any higher on his nose. The butterflies in Prompto's stomach turned to writhing tentacles and he winced.

"I'm sorry," he said again. This time, Ignis blinked and seemed to actually see him for the first time. He let his hand drop away from his glasses and took a deep breath, clearly striving for his normal calm demeanor. And mostly succeeding.

"No apology is necessary, Prompto," Ignis said at last. "You simply...surprised me. I'm..." Ignis seemed to struggle with his words, a development that probably wasn't helped by the way Prompto couldn't help but gape at him.

"I'm rather sensitive," Ignis said at last, glancing to the side. Prompto blinked and couldn't help but look back down at Ignis' chest at the words.

"Oh," he murmured, and then tilted his head. "Is that why you were embarrassed by these outfits?" Prompto asked. Instead of answering, Ignis tried to fruitlessly push his glasses up again, which was answer enough. Prompto dropped his head again for a moment, chewing his lip. He didn't _have_ to say anything, but it felt like he should do something to even the playing field between them now.

A secret for a secret.

"I...was worried about the outfits, too," Prompto said quietly. "But, well, Noct was so excited..." The hand that he'd pulled back to himself flatted over the red sash at his waist even as he thought about it. The movement apparently didn't go unnoticed.

"Prompto," Ignis said quietly, "I can assure that you have nothing to worry about when it comes to your physique."

"Sure. Not _now_ ," Prompto snorted before he could stop himself. They sat there for a moment. And then another. And another. Slowly, Prompto recognized that Ignis wasn't about to force him to say anything. He wasn't going to pry. Instead, he was waiting. Waiting for Prompto to either make a joke and drop it or elaborate.

He was waiting for Prompto to choose.

Maybe that's why he kept going, because he'd been given the option to keep quiet. Whatever the reason, Prompto reached for his side with a shaking hand and undid the strap of leather that both secured a small leather bag to his side and held the costume in place around his waist. It fell to the bed with a quiet _thud_ and then his fingers hooked under the red fabric and hesitated.

"I...was a lot heavier as a kid. It made me feel pretty worthless, so I worked really hard to fix it. To...to be worthy of being friends with Noct, I guess. I cut out the junk food and I ran every morning before school and it took a lot of work but I got there...but...I..."

Prompto shook his head, not sure what else to say, and finally tugged the sash down as low as it would go on his hips. The stretch marks, old as they might be, were still a bright pink against his pale skin, branching across his abdomen. He swallowed hard and had to look away from them, biting his lower lip until he tasted copper.

"I wasn't sure how to put that into words," he finally muttered, repeating Ignis' own words back to him, though admittedly under very different circumstances. Ignis remained quiet and it was enough to make Prompto want to scream, but he held himself perfectly still. Now it was his turn to wait.

Wait for the disgust or the rejection or whatever it was that Ignis was about say.

Prompto saw movement and flinched, raising his head quickly. Ignis had extended his hand as if to touch Prompto's flat stomach, but froze as soon as Prompto reacted. When the gunner met his green eyes they were still soft and kind, and still darkened with desire.

"Apologies. I should have asked first. May I touch you?" Ignis asked. Then, when Prompto didn't respond immediately, he quickly added, "You are allowed to decline."

Prompto blinked quickly as Ignis' form blurred in his vision and gave him a slow, single nod. Ignis' hand was warm against his skin and Prompto had to fight not to flinch away again. His own hand was still holding Ignis' and he squeezed hard enough that it had to hurt, but Ignis didn't say anything. He seemed engrossed in running his fingers along Prompto's stomach, almost petting him, and the longer he did the more Prompto relaxed, slowly loosening the crushing grip he had on Ignis' left hand.

"My opinion of you hasn't changed, if that's what you are worried about," Ignis said at last. Prompto lifted his eyes again and Ignis' entire face seemed to radiate warmth.

Prompto hiccupped before he could stop himself and a single, fat tear rolled down his cheek.

"It's easy to see what a dedicated person you are through your photography and your efforts to remain cheerful even at the worst of times to try and lighten our spirits," Ignis continued. "But I never knew it ran so deep. I am not disgusted to see these marks, Prompto. I am impressed, and proud."

"Stop," Prompto gasped rubbing at his eye with his free hand. "Oh gods, Iggy. A guy can only take so much." The tears just kept multiplying the more Ignis talked and he wasn't sure how they'd gotten here. How had they gone from kissing and everything feeling so good to... _this_. Prompto didn't want to be a sniveling mess on the bed right now, but he wasn't sure how to make it stop.

Then there was a tug on their joined hands and suddenly Prompto's face was pressed into Ignis' warm chest, his wet cheek up against bare skin, while strong arms wrapped around him.

"Hush, now," Ignis murmured and somehow Prompto was only comforted by the gentle reassurance, not instantly mortified by the fact that he was being soothed like a child by the man he'd just been making out with. It was comfortable and safe in Ignis' arms, and that was all that mattered, truly. He let a few more tears fall unchecked and felt a bit better for it, sluggishly lifting his own arms to wrap them around Ignis in return.

"You...you really don't think they're gross?" Prompto asked in a small voice. He wanted to hear it, just once more at least. It felt childish, but maybe it would also help in some way.

"I really don't," Ignis assured him, and Prompto felt a kiss pressed to the top of his head. He sniffed and squeezed his arms around the Advisor's middle in silent gratitude.

They sat there while Prompto's tears dried and his breathing returned to normal. Ignis only held him and occasionally rubbed his back, but seemed to be waiting again. Slowly, Prompto realized that other than the initial kiss, Ignis had more or less let him dictate their pace the whole time, quietly accepting all of Prompto's desires and boundaries every step of the way. The thought seemed to warm him from the inside out, but it also made him feel rather selfish.

Ignis did so much for all of them. He deserved to get what _he_ wanted, too.

"What do you want?" Prompto asked quietly. Ignis shifted and seemed to try and pull back enough to see Prompto's face, but the blond refused to let go of him.

"Pardon? I'm not certain what you mean, Prompto," Ignis said, giving up and settling back into simply holding the gunner. Prompto licked his lips and chose his words carefully.

"I said I just wanted to kiss you some more, but you never said what _you_ wanted. Do you...want to do more than that?" Prompto pressed his burning face even harder against Ignis' chest. "You can tell me if you do. I'm not sure I'll want to, tonight anyway, but...but I want to know. What do _you_ want, Iggy?"

Ignis took his time considering the question and Prompto waited the same way that the Advisor had waited for him all evening, giving him space to consider what he wanted to say. Beneath his cheek, he felt the steady heartbeat speed up, but only a little. Nothing like Prompto's own racing heart.

"I am not one for 'one night stands,'" Ignis said at last. "And in any case, I wouldn't want to risk our friendship over a single night of pleasure." Prompto's mouth went dry at the word "pleasure" but he nodded, both in agreement and to show he understood. He didn't want that either. It wasn’t worth risking ruining things between them just to get off.

"But, since you ask..." Ignis continued after a moment, "I _do_ fancy you, Prompto, and so I wouldn't object to a little more time together tonight. Perhaps even some…heavy petting?" The way Ignis' voice went up made it clear he wasn't sure if he was even using the right terminology and Prompto snorted to hear the words coming from the prim and proper Advisor in the first place.

"Oh, yeah?" he asked, finally leaning back to look up at Ignis. Then something else clicked in his brain and his eyes widened. "Wait...did you say you 'fancy' me?"

"Of course I do," Ignis said, fighting a losing battle against the blush that was spreading across his high cheeks again. "Why else would I kiss you?"

Prompto just stared at him. And then he did the first thing that came into his mind: he leaned in again and pressed his lips to Ignis' exposed nipple.

" _P-Prompto_!" Ignis yelped, and while his hands came up to rest on Prompto's shoulders he didn't actually push the blond away. Prompto pulled back just enough to look up at Ignis with a wide grin.

"I fancy you, too, Iggy," Prompto said. "And, besides, you _did_ say you wanted some ‘heavy petting’ didn’t you?" Ignis huffed but he didn't frown so Prompto knew he wasn't truly annoyed. Or at least, not by that much.

"I suppose I must reap what I sow," Ignis admitted, shaking his head, before nearly matching Prompto's grin. "Though, the same goes for you."

Before Prompto could even process the words Ignis was fairly devouring his mouth, both hands burying themselves in Prompto's hair to scratch wonderfully at his scalp. This time they did begin to tilt sideways until Ignis had guided them onto their sides on the bed. The new position meant that Prompto's hands had more difficulty wandering, which was no doubt Ignis' intent, but they didn't stop him entirely.

Prompto had to wedge his own elbow under himself a bit to lower his hand, but when his fingers finally found Ignis' exposed chest again he ran his fingertips over the Advisor's bare nipple until it was a raised nub, and then he pinched it lightly. Ignis actually shuddered beside him and moaned into his mouth, a rich, deep sound that seemed to roll through Prompto's entire being.

He could have died happy simply from hearing that moan.

One of Ignis' hands left his hair and wandered down Prompto's own bare skin. His chest wasn't nearly as sensitive as Ignis', unfortunately, but he still shivered when those elegant fingers gave his own pink nipple the very same treatment.

Then Ignis' hand wandered lower and Prompto's breath caught. He knew Ignis wasn't about to go any lower than his pants—they'd both agreed on that—but that wasn't why he tensed up when Ignis' fingers drew across the flat planes of his stomach. It was one thing for the Advisor to trace his stretch marks out of curiosity and admiration, but it was another thing altogether for him to do it while his tongue was in Prompto's mouth and that rich baritone kept pitching up into needy little whines and whimpers.

Prompto surprised even himself when, instead of pulling back, he pressed into the touch and a completely involuntary groan of his own rose out of his throat. He'd spent so long being ashamed of his stomach, he'd never even imagined that it might feel good to have someone else touch it.

Oh, but it did.

It wasn't until he actually rolled his hips that he finally broke the kiss with a wet gasp, blinking blearily at Ignis who looked just as lost to the moment as Prompto felt.

"Perhaps we should—"

"I think we’d better—"

They both spoke at once, equally breathless, and then broke into laughter at the same time.

"If we truly intent for this to go no further..." Ignis finally said, letting the sentiment hang in the air. He was smiling, though, wide and warm, and Prompto couldn't help but smile back.

"Yeah," he murmured. For a moment he just laid on the bed, drinking in the color on Ignis' cheeks and the absolute contentment on his face.

"Maybe...we could go out to dinner sometime? Just you and me?" Prompto asked after a moment. Roughly an hour and a half ago he never would have dreamed of asking the Advisor on a date, but he wanted more and it was clear that Ignis did too, despite what they had said earlier.

"If we could find time in our busy schedule of Saving the World for a Video Game Festival, I dare say we can find time for dinner," Ignis replied and Prompto giggled again, feeling slightly drunk off the last few minutes. Ignis' hand was still on his lower stomach and Prompto reached down to cover it with his own.

"It's a date, then," he said quietly, and the way Ignis' beamed at him made his heart sing. Ignis usually looked so grown up, despite the fact that he was only two years older than Prompto. Now, however, with his face flushed and his eyes sparkling behind glasses that were slightly askew, he looked young and excited and just how any "normal" twenty-two-year-old should look when being asked on a date.

Their lives weren't that simple and Prompto knew it, but it would be nice to pretend, at least for a little while.

"Um...I think I should probably take a cold shower or something before I head out to find Noct again," Prompto finally said, and part of his heart ached to sit up again. Ignis followed his example, righting his glasses and smoothing his hair back into place where it had gotten slightly squashed on one side.

"Indeed. He'll be wondering where you are by now," Ignis said. Neither of them got off the bed, however, and when they both realized that fact, they shared a somewhat guilty look.

"Until next time," Ignis murmured and leaned in to kiss Prompto a final time. It was only a simple peck, but Prompto sighed through his nose and nodded when the Advisor drew back.

"Yeah," he agreed. It seemed to take far too much physical effort, but he forced himself to stand and smiled down at Ignis one last time. He wasn't sure what to say at first. It was far too early for declarations of love, and they'd already admitted that they liked one another. Finally, he said the only thing that seemed to matter.

"Thank you, Iggy."

"The pleasure was all mine," Ignis replied with a cheeky grin and, partly because Prompto couldn't help himself and party because he knew Ignis had chosen that word on purpose, Prompto grinned right back.

"Not all of it," the blond said with a wink and finally headed for the bathroom. Because if he stayed there for another second he was going to kiss Ignis again and then, even if they did manage to maintain the willpower not to go any further tonight, Prompto knew that at the very least neither of them would make it back out of the hotel room again.

He sighed as he closed the bathroom door behind him and though he'd planned on a shower he decided that, given how intricate his costume was, it was probably better to just splash cold water on his face and neck until his heart rate turned to normal.

Prompto had come to expect the unexpected. But a budding romance was the very last thing he would have ever seen coming.


End file.
